Ten Steps to Prepare for a Recording Session at the Studio, Recording Your Band

The best way to have great sounding recordings at the studio is to be prepared as a band. Lots of bands show up at the recording studio without even knowing which songs to record and they take a lot of time at the studio figuring out the parts of a song, what are the lyrics and many other little things that start adding up. If you as a band prepare before the recording sessions won’tice a big difference in the quality of your recordings. Here is some great advice on how to prepare your band for a recording session.

Set Goals: The first thing to do should be setting your goals as a band. What are the band goals for this year? What is the purpose of recording your songs? Are you recording a demo to get more gigs? Are you recording a CD to promote to your fans and friends? What do you want to accomplish after the recording? Be sure that everyone involved in the project is on the same page including the manager, producer, engineer, and specially all of the band members. Knowing your goals will give you an idea of what do you need to prepare before the sessions.

I highly recommend you understand this information very cautiously, the problem and the solutions have lots of variants. Plan sessions: Plan how many and which songs you want to record. Plan the session so that you’re giving enough time for each song to be recorded properly. It’s better to have 3 well recorded songs that 10 rushed songs. Be sure to record all your favorite songs first and then, if you still have some time, record any extra songs you need. Prepare a list of the songs you’re recording and which ones you’ll be doing first.

Practice: This is an obvious but under estimated step. Practice all songs as a whole and in parts. Practice any hard part of a song and make sure that everyone in the band is following the drummer’s tempo. Practice with a click metronome. If you’re not used to play with a metronome you’ll have to learn it at the recording studio. Take your time and learn how to play with a metronome in your rehearsals so that when you’re at the studio you spend that time in other productive things.

Record you Rehearsals: When you record your rehearsals and then listen to them you’re aware of many details that you do not notice while you’re practicing. Listening to a recording of your rehearsals is a great way of refining your playing and finding which parts need to be considered for improvements. Listen the recording as a band and individually, and share everyone’s thoughts about the songs. Have your fans and friends listen to the songs and have their opinions about the songs.

Finish Arrangements:Make sure that all parts and songs are finished. If you recorded your rehearsals listen if all parts blend well together and they’re not competing with each other. Give each instrument its room to breathe. It does not matter how well you record your songs, if the arrangement it is done poorly the parts will not mix well together.

Know all Parts of the Song:Everyone in the band should know their parts perfectly. The singer should know the lyrics and background vocals should be known by anyone singing them. I you prepare your background vocals before the recording sessions you’ll save a lot of time at the studio. Guitar and keyboard players should know which effects and patches to use in each of the songs.

Decide the Sound of Each Song: Have an idea of how you want the songs to sound like. Do you want a similar sound on all of the songs or do you have different ideas for each of the songs. Will a particular drum sound fit better in a particular song? Try different guitars and effects on each song to see which one fits the song better. Be sure to let the engineer at the recording studio know of your ideas for each of the songs so he can better choose how to mic, mix and edit your band.

Document Sessions: Have a photo and video camera ready to take to the recording studio. Having a video and photos of the sessions is a great way of integrating your friends and fans into the recording experience. You may have somebody filming and taking pictures at the recording studio, but make sure that he’s not distracting everyone at the studio.

Set Up Instruments: Have your gear sounding at its best. Guitar and bass players should put new strings to their instruments. Make sure you do it at least one day before showing at the recording studio so strings can stretch well. Drums should be tuned properly and any noise and rattle should be resolved before the recording session. Keyboardist should know where to find specific sound in their keyboards.

Relax: Sleep well the night before going to the studio. You want to be relaxed and enjoy the recording process. If you’re too tired you will not pay attention to the minor details and have a hard time focusing on getting the best results.

Pedro Vazquez, Engineer at La Roccella Recording Studio. Visit Our Studio Website http://www.laroccella.com